Sidra Launches Pediatric Day Surgeries

Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) is pleased to announce the launch of its pediatric day surgery clinic, adding to a growing list of world-class services offered at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Ferguson said, “The launch of pediatric day surgeries marks an important milestone in Sidra’s roll-out of pediatric and women’s services at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic (OPC), which will become fully operational in January 2017. With pediatric surgery the focus, children can now be admitted to the Sidra Outpatient Clinic for minor surgeries or procedures and be discharged the same day. The launch of every new service at the Sidra OPC is an opportunity for our expert staff to offer the best possible care to our patients and their families, supported by a rigorous focus on patient safety and a culture of continuous learning.”

Pediatric Day Surgery will include general surgical procedures such as inguinal hernia repairs, orchidopexy (surgery used to bring the testes down), umbilical and epigastric hernia repairs, soft tissue biopsies and hydrocelectomy (surgery for removing fluid in the scrotum). Services will quickly expand to include ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures, urologic procedures, minor plastics surgery procedures and simple orthopedic procedures and ophthalmology procedures.

Dr. David Sigalet, Medical Director of the Outpatient Center and Department Chair of Surgery, said: “The opening certainly helps to advance Sidra’s mission to provide world-class health care. Day surgery is a vital component of any healthcare service. It allows sometimes acute conditions to be treated efficiently and effectively. It is very gratifying that pediatric patients can now be treated for more minor conditions which may not be life-threatening but which, nevertheless, can significantly impact a child’s life.”

Sidra will accept pediatric day surgery referrals from – Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and Qatar Foundation Primary Healthcare Center. Sidra also has a Pre-anesthesia Clinic where a pediatric patient’s medical history is assessed, and the advice of the surgeon and the anesthesiologist help determine the cases that qualify for day surgeries.

In addition to pediatric day surgeries, Sidra has continued to roll out more specialist healthcare services. Over the past few months several new pediatric clinics have opened including – Infectious Diseases, Adolescent Medicine, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, and a Pre-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Sidra also launched its Neurology Clinic on 30 October, which will progressively provide complete diagnostic and therapeutic services for all children with neurological disorders.

Prior to the launch of each new service at Sidra, the inter-professional teams of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals involved in patient care go through rigorous training. This includes simulation training designed to analyze and perfect the patient journey and create highly functioning teams.

“This is an exciting time for Sidra and for the women and children of Qatar who require access to specialized services and physicians. We are moving forward at great pace, while ensuring the quality and safety of the services we provide,” Dr. Ferguson concluded.

The Sidra Outpatient Clinic is expected to be fully operational by January 2017 with over 40 clinics and services.